Well Hung Heart at Rescue Rooms, Nottingham

I don’t know what’s most striking about Well Hung Heart’s stage presence; the suits, the sideburns or the brilliant hair. Combined with a fantastically unique old-school microphone, this three piece open with an atmosphere of belonging on a smoky blues bar, but the rockier side brings about a sharp creative edge to the show.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, Robin (Davey) is playing guitar, bass and keyboard sounds all at the same time. All live, no computers” is the introduction Greta (Valenti, vocals) gives to the band’s… well, what do you call him – multi-musician, perhaps? And if she hadn’t, it’d be hard to believe that there was just one guitar between the band, as Robin does such a spectacular job of it. The third song of the set highlights this, in which his opening solo demonstrates a demand not only over his instrument, but also over the crowd. That’s another incredible trait this band possesses – they seem to have total control over those watching, or at least, Greta does. Despite the crowd spreading to the back of the venue, whenever she wants them to sing or shout requests, they do, and when the musak-style instrumental takes over for Greta to make an introduction, she subtly gains total focus.

It’s continually refreshing to see artists live who have the talent themselves and who don’t require autotune, and Greta is a prime example of this. With a staggering vocal range and without a single note missed, Well Hung Heart’s singer is something to aspire to. What makes this band even better is that there’s no feeling that the performance is simply a singer flanked by a fantastic guitarist and a talented drummer; the show would be equally lost without any one of them. Perhaps this is a side effect of only having three members in the band, but it feels like each of those on stage has the ability to hold the show together on their own – this is made even more incredible by the fact that their drummer doesn’t play every gig with them (more about that in our interview with Greta later this week!)

From soulful blues to rockier tunes, this band are capable are putting on an incredible show to put many bigger bands to shame, and the confidence they take to the stage with undoubtedly puts the audience in the mood for the zealous and fiery performance that awaits. Recorded versions do no justice – these guys are a must see live show!